The Mainstay

A wonderfully colourful whimsical home on Hornby Is., in the gulf islands on the west coast of Canada. It's actually called the tropical island of the gulf, because of the sunny weather and beautiful beaches. A great place to get away, be in nature, and relax. You won't need your watch, everything is on island time, slower and more flexible. Wildlife is abundant with eagles, sea-lions, seals, sea life, deer, wide variety of birds, lots of owls, no beavers or squirrels, just mink and possum. Our home is on a forested private 1/2acre corner lot and a dead end. Only a short walk to the beach and Central road. The mainstay room and upstairs. Beside it is the kids' room (Kids' Court) and downstairs is the room with a view if you want to view and book those as well. We have two bathrooms. Upstairs is literally a bathroom, with only a sink and a large claw-foot tub surrounded by mosaics, driftwood, a large sky light above the tub. Relax, light candles and stare up at the stars. Downstairs is a flush toilet, composting toilet, a urinal and a shower. Our home is an open concept kitchen and living room with three entrances. Everything you might want will be there, including lots of board games, a trapeze, landline and internet. We don’t have a dishwasher, but pretty much everything else, including a juicer, large dehydrator, a microwave, stand up popcorn maker, large freezer and much more. We live on a dead end with no neighbours usually, so you can party it up, or enjoy the peace and quiet. Outside you will find a beautiful garden, lots of flowers, fruit trees, a firepit, BBQ, a tree-fort, a trampoline and three outside cats. A great place for kids of all ages is waiting to provide you with lasting holiday memories. For more photos go to: (Website hidden by Airbnb) Everything is shared, except your room. My son and I sleep in another area and we use a different entrance to the property. We will be sharing the kitchen, bathrooms and living space with you and the other guests. I will absolutely respect your privacy and you can feel free to do what you like. I will however be in and out of the house and I am usually close by should you need anything. The island is surrounded by at least 11 beautiful beaches, each one having a different charm. We are just up the road from Sandpiper beach , close to the main road and the trail network. Hornby is a forested island with only about 900 year round residents, most of whom are artist of some sort. Getting around is very easy via trails, roads and rides from locals. There is a gas bar, a COOP with a hardware store and several small shops out front. We also have a marina with a store that sells anything you might want plus Pizza and Cappuccinos. At the ferry landing is a bar/restaurant with it's own dock. The best in my opinion, is to pack a picnic and go to the beach, Helliwell park, or just behind the house in the forest. On the island you can rent bikes, kayaks and paddle boards. You can go on fishing tours, go diving, share your yoga practice with many teachers in a variety of settings and just tour around and meet the artisans and interesting Hornby folk. We also have a fire department, a medical response team , a medical clinic and a doctor on call at all times. Nowhere is more than a 15 min (Email hidden by Airbnb) of Hornby's beaches is just a short walk down the road. It's a great Island to walk or bike with lots of trails on and off road. Hitching is common, because the only way to get around is use your car, your bike or your legs:) -Food is a little more expensive here than it is off island, however it benefits the island greatly when guests support our economy. You will not find a fast food place or seven eleven, but we have a few great restaurants and a store that sells pizza and cappuccinos is open until 8:00. -Everyone on the island needs to be very conscious of our water consumption!! In the off season we get a lot of rain, so water isn't really too much of an issue, because that is our water source - We have Wifi and a landline phone, but cell reception on the island is pretty tricky. You have to go to it, it won't come to you. It is definitely a different world here and it is truly impossible to not have a fantastic time.